Kellee Jensen
Mrs. Benz
AP English Language
11/20/12
A Streetcar Named Desire
It’s a crazy thing – being blinded by love. The world often wonders why people stay with their significant other when they are so wrong for each other. But frequently we forget how hard it is to see the negatives in a relationship, especially when we think that this person is our everything. Sometimes we don’t want to point out the negatives in a relationship because we are afraid of the truth. The truth that we know the other person is not good for us. At first guys can seem so sweet but as Crystalina says in her book How to Find Your Soulmate without Losing Your Soul “When a relationship begins, a girl may feel flattered if the guy is possessive or jealous…but it doesn’t take long before she beings to see that his ‘devotion’ is unhealthy” (Evert 30). Remind you of someone? How about Stella and Stanley’s Relationship? Crystalina would classify Stanley as a “Control Freak” (Evert 30) and that’s exactly what he is.
Crystalina wrote the book How to Find Your Soulmate without Losing Your Soul with her husband Jason. Pages 30 to 33 in this book are all about control freaks and how they act. They even give you two dozen warning signs to find out if your loved one is a control freak or not. Warning sign number one caught my eye and reminded me of Stanley: “You always feel like you’re living according to his moods and wishes” (Evert 30). Stella even admits this to Blanche when she says “But of course there were things to adjust myself to later on” (Williams 24). She is definitely living to Stanley’s moods and wishes. This is also shown in scene three when Stella and Blanche turn on the radio during the poker game. Stanley, poker, and beer just don’t mix because he blows up and “Stanley stalks fiercely through the portieres into the bedroom. He crosses to the small white radio and snatches it off the table. With a shouted oath, he tosses the instrument out the window” (Williams 56). Another thing that makes Stanley even more of a control freak is when he says “Since when do you give me orders?” (Williams 37). A little bossy and controlling right? Poor Stella is blinded by love, like Stanley always says; he pulled the “wool over her eyes” and she doesn’t see how bad he is for her.
Another warning sign for a control freak is “He hits things to deal with his anger” (Evert 30). Of course in this case Stanley doesn’t hit things he hits the vulnerable Stella. He gets so angry about a stupid radio that he throws it out the window and chases Stella into the kitchen out of site and “There is the sound of a blow. Stella cries out. Blanche screams…” (Williams 57). Now very few people realize that their husband is being abusive, well they probably all notice it but only a small number of people have the guts to get up and leave. Stella had the guts at first when she and Blanche went up to Eunice’s house. But only a little while after the incident Stella goes running back into his arms. Which brings us to warning sign number three; “He makes you feel like he can’t live without you” (Evert 30). Stella’s so called guts to stay away from Stanley falters and she gives in to him. “Stella slips down the rickety stairs in her robe…they stare at each other. Then they come together with low, animal moans…Her eyes go blind with tenderness as she catches his head and raises him lever with her…” (Williams 60). Blanche runs out worried but gets stopped by Mitch who reassures her that it’s okay because “They’re crazy about each other” (Williams 60).
Stanley’s sudden change in attitude is another thing Crystalina and Jason say is a bad sign. “Controlling guys have all kids of tricks to make you stay” (Evert 31). Yup, you guessed it. One of those tricks to get their loved one to stay is “When you want to leave he may become sweet as a lamb, which is what you’ve been waiting for. You won’t want to leave him while he’s being nice. You want to believe that he has changed. But don’t be